No. 4 Notre Dame Pulls Away From Wisconsin for 41-13 Victory at Lambeau Field

The Fighting Irish Claim Victory at Historic Lambeau Field

No. 4 Notre Dame overcame a competitive first half and dominated after halftime Sunday night, pulling away for a 41-13 victory over Wisconsin at historic Lambeau Field in the marquee matchup of College Football Week 1.

The Fighting Irish led only 13-10 at halftime before taking complete control in the final two quarters. The game marked the first college football contest at the home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers since 2016, when Wisconsin upset then-No. 5 LSU 16-14.

CJ Carr Leads Notre Dame Offense

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 19 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Irish eventually find their offensive rhythm. His second touchdown pass, a 28-yard completion to Nolan James Jr. with 1:51 remaining, capped Notre Dame’s scoring.

The Irish opened the scoring when Green Bay-area native James Flanigan caught a 3-yard touchdown pass. Flanigan’s connection to the Packers runs deep, as both his father and grandfather, each named Jim Flanigan, previously played for Green Bay.

Aneyas Williams also played a major role in the victory, rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns as Notre Dame’s ground game came alive after a difficult opening half.

Notre Dame Dominates After Halftime

Wisconsin stayed within striking distance for much of the opening two quarters, trailing just 13-10 at halftime despite entering the game as a three-touchdown underdog.

Notre Dame’s rushing attack struggled early, producing only 29 yards on 16 carries in the first half. The Irish entered the season looking to replace Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, the only two running backs selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.

Notre Dame ultimately finished with 111 rushing yards on 32 attempts, but its offense surged after halftime. Williams capped a 70-yard opening drive of the second half with a 3-yard touchdown run to extend the lead.

The Irish then delivered another major blow when Colorado transfer DJ McKinney intercepted Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph and raced 55 yards untouched for a touchdown, pushing Notre Dame’s advantage to 27-10.

Wisconsin briefly answered with Gavin Lahm’s second field goal of the night, cutting the deficit to 27-13 late in the third quarter. Notre Dame responded immediately, with Williams scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach before James’ late touchdown reception completed the 41-13 rout.

Notre Dame Sends an Early Playoff Message

The victory gives Notre Dame an impressive opening-week statement as the Irish pursue a College Football Playoff berth. Notre Dame entered the season determined to remove any doubt about its postseason credentials after being left out of last year’s playoff despite winning its final 10 regular-season games by double-digit margins.

While the Irish still have questions to answer in the running game following the departures of Love and Price, the second-half performance against Wisconsin demonstrated the potential of Carr and the rest of the offense.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, showed plenty of fight early despite being a significant underdog. The Badgers are attempting to rebound after two consecutive losing seasons, but Notre Dame’s second-half surge proved too much to overcome.

College Football Home Opener for Both

Wisconsin will return home Saturday to host Western Illinois as it looks to get back on track. Notre Dame will also return home Saturday when the Fighting Irish host Rice in their next Week 1 matchup.